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Case Studies

Tainan City Tour, Taiwan

Tainan City is a municipality on Taiwan’s southwest coast. It was the island’s capital from 1683-1887 under the Qing dynasty, and today it’s known for its centuries-old fortresses and temples.

“You’ll almost certainly receive looks of envy from any Taiwanese person if you mention you’re going to Tainan (台南市), and it’s not hard to see why.” reads Lonely Planet’s website. “Traditional culture continues to thrive in Tainan, the oldest city in the country. Inside century-old temples people ‘bwah bwey’ (cast moon blocks) to determine the best course of action, just as their ancestors did when the temples first opened…..”

Our first cooperation with Tainan City Government began in 2013, when the city celebrated the 120th anniversary of renowned Taiwanese painter Chen Cheng-po. Acoustiguide Asia created a special app for the exhibition, (view app here) commemorating this great pioneer of early 20th century East Asian painting.

Following the successful exhibition and app, Tainan City Government aimed to generate more apps to promote the city and its wonders. The government focused on the five most popular historical sites of the oldest city and former capital of Taiwan. Acoustiguide Asia was responsible for the entire project and developed an innovative beacon-based application, providing a solution with a location-aware mobile app to create a more interactive touring experience.

The Tainan Tour App triggers automatically and guides visitors through the city by voice, just like a personal tour guide. The app offers 50 multimedia stations and employs a Bluetooth automatic sensing beacon to provide visitors with audio descriptions in real time. As visitors stroll along the route on-site, their devices are triggered by the beacons, spontaneously activating the app’s content.

This comprehensive app offers a variety of interactive experiences encompassing graphics and written texts, hundreds of photos, guided tours and gourmet food tasting. The automatic location function enables visitors to learn more about the history and current status of five major historical sites in Tainan and to observe the changes that have taken place over the years. Each site has 10 stopping points with text descriptions and 10 audio stopping points of interest that are auto-triggered by corresponding beacons. One of the features displays old photos and maps of Tainan, allowing visitors to share their thoughts with friends and family.

Users easily access the latest information on tourism, culture and transportation in Tainan. The GPS function combined with Google Maps / iOS Maps assists people in reaching historical sites and popular dining establishments in real time. Further, Local Assistance supplies guided maps and user manuals onsite, including 10 to 15 tablets that are free to borrow at each site.

This multilingual app has English, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese versions available at the App store and Google Play that are compatible with Android 4.3 + and iPhone 4S and later.

The Acre Hospitaller Fortress, Israel

The port city of Acre became the gateway to the Holy Land following the establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1099 after the First Crusade. A monastic order called the Hospitallers, dedicated themselves to providing a safe haven for pilgrims at this historic site.

The Hospitaller Fortress, in Israel also known as “The Knight Halls” or “the Knight Kingdom” has been an Acoustiguide client since 1997. During this time the site developed its offerings to visitors hand in hand with Acoustiguide, upgrading from the 1st generation audio guides to the 2nd and 3rd advanced multi-media players.

In 2014 The Old Acre Development Company, Ltd. (OADC) completed extensive renovations to enhance the visitor experience at the historic Hospitaller Fortress. Winning the official tender, Acoustiguide deployed its Opus system as a key element, delivering a multimedia experience throughout the exhibit.

The Acre Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it a significant destination for foreign and domestic tourists alike. Built by the Crusaders in the 15th century, it encompasses aspects of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Baha'i history, including the Templars’ tunnels, a traditional Turkish bath and the Okashi Art Museum. Insights into centuries of the city’s buried past were unearthed in an excavation of over 25,000 square meters of the Citadel and the surrounding streets. Thanks to its partial restoration there are now over 300,000 annual visitors, projected to reach an audience of 500,000.

Through unique and engaging experiences, Acoustiguide’s technology offers a glimpse into Acre’s rich 5,000 years of history. Acoustiguide’s team worked closely with the OADC team from the initial concept to the final implementation. Video presentations are beamed on walls and floors throughout the fortress, without sound. Each visitor receives an Acoustiguide Opus player in order to enjoy a full, rich experience of the Fortress encounter. The digital multimedia content sync precisely with the presentation in 10 languages. Its RF sensors are installed unobtrusively throughout the site, blending in without damaging or detracting from the architecture. They automatically trigger the content on the portable guiding devices when a visitor enters a particular area, providing a visitor-centric experience. The narration is timed to commence upon arrival at each station, allowing visitors to advance through the exhibit at their own pace. An alternate route is set up for the disabled to avoid stairs.

As live actors also interact with the visitors, the headphones are designed to fit over the ears without covering them, enhancing both the real-time and recorded experience. The system also synchronizes with group tours, accommodating up to 16 groups at a time, enabling each person to fully enjoy the experience.

Acoustiguide’s comprehensive approach aims to create fun, simple, yet meaningful and educational experiences that reflect each site’s unique vision. The project was entirely coordinated with the OADC to develop the multilingual content and the delivery, so that nothing would detract from the site itself. Visitors enjoy and learn through a seamless audio and video experience.

The Grand Palais, Paris

The Grand Palais in Paris, the first European cultural operator established in 1895, represents a tradition of culture in France. This historic monument showcases large-scale exhibitions of classical, modern and contemporary art in its spacious halls, partnering with top museums from around the world. Involved in a broad spectrum of cultural activities including distributing photography from numerous international collections with a catalogue of a million images; hosting major exhibits and events, as well as functioning as a renowned European art publishing house. The Grand Palais draws an audience of over 2.5 million annually including 25,000 school students. Supported by France’s Ministry of Culture, its mission is to create indelible experiences of beauty through encounters with all forms of expression in art and culture.

The Grand Palais has been an Acoustiguide client since 1999; Acoustiguide offered its audio guiding and group guiding services in dozens of blockbuster art shows during these years, including Andy Warhol (2009), Picasso et les Maitres (2009), Claude Monet (2011), Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso… The Stein Family (2012), Cartier: Style and History(2013), Miss Dior (2013), Niki de Saint Phalle (2015)... to name a few. Acoustiguide produced the creative content for these exhibitions, sometimes in all 24 European Union languages. Acoustiguide also operates on-site services, i.e. managing the desks and hostesses, handling the service for both individual visitors as well as for groups.

During the Spring of 2015, Acoustiguide launched an innovative multimedia tour for the Grand Palais primarily centered around the use of the Google Glass, providing the first ever such immersive visitor experience of a Velazquez exhibit. The public greatly enjoyed listening to supplementary content made available on iPod5, iPads, audio guides and Google Glasses, each carrier generating a specific visit. Everyone was able to explore and admire each individual work of art by the Spanish master through a variety of traditional and cutting-edge media strategies incorporating music, videos, images and audio commentaries. The specific viewing experience created by the Acoustiguide team, in conjunction with the curator and the Grand Palais, enabled museum-goers to seamlessly gaze at each picture and the Google Glass screen simultaneously, enriching appreciation and understanding of the artwork. Thanks to the great success of this unique participatory venture, we will continue to offer and design digital interactive strategy for upcoming exhibitions starting with the Picasso Mania exhibit opened in October 2015.

The Louvre (Musée du Louvre), Paris

If there were “7 Wonders” of the art world, the renowned Louvre museum would be at the top of the list. This essential art experience is unparalleled, appealing to art enthusiasts and tourists alike. People from around the globe are drawn to the expansive collection of 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st. century, exhibited in an area of 60,000 square meters. The Louvre is the world's most visited art space with an average of 10 million tickets sold annually. Virtual statistics are equally impressive: 14 million website hits, millions of followers on social networks, as well as being the most popular museum on Instagram.

In 2011 Acoustiguide Group was chosen by the Louvre to meet visitor demands in the digital age. Acoustiguide built the Louvre app intended for use either while marveling at the Mona Lisa in person or appreciating art content from afar. Instantly liked by museum-goers, a rave review in the Guardian also recognized the Louvre app as one of the top audio guide applications in the museums and heritage market. The app, available for iphone and Android in seven languages, offers audio, video, interactive maps, games and thematic tours for children and adults. Hundreds of hours of downloadable content for personal devices enrich visitor experience. To celebrate the success of our official application "Louvre Museum", we offer a new enhanced version of many works and features.

In the thematic “Guided Tours” the public can encounter classics such as the Venus de Milo, ancient Egyptian artefacts and Renaissance sculpture while being led step-by-step through the Louvre’s most prestigious galleries. Another option is the personalized Self-Guided Tour, where you can follow your own path and locate 40 must-sees using a map, list or mosaic. By entering the numbers displayed next to selected artworks an audio guide provides expert commentaries by curators.

A further useful tool is the “Where am I?” function, an interactive map that helps you find your way around. The Museum’s general practical information is also accessible at your fingertips.

A Made-to Measure Audio Guide
Visitors can make in-app purchases of content including tours of the permanent collection, alongside temporary exhibitions. This easy-to use component also allows you to add content later and prepare future visits by downloading more “tours” or thematic artwork descriptions. Highlights include an app audio guide on the Poussin exhibition and The Making of Holy Images temporary exhibition narrated with captivating storytelling, revealing intriguing secrets behind the artworks.
An open-source content management solution enables the Louvre to independently provide new content as it is produced; hosting by Acoustiguide’s content management platform ensures scalable and reliable delivery of this content.

Delightful Front-End User Experience Design
For lovers of the Louvre, the app’s most beautiful visuals can be acquired, assigned to contacts, saved on screen or transformed into slideshows. Audiences are further engaged with 100 Louvre masterpieces right in their own pockets: Greek sculptures, the paintings of Bosch, Titian, Raphael, Holbein, Cranach and da Vinci drawings. They can zoom in on over 500 images and details. Brand new features are shareable with friends by email and on Facebook; the latest updates are published in a News Feed.

Lastly, visitors can discover the free HD version of our application for iPad that enables users to explore every detail of 150 celebrated masterpieces through stunning high definition images.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is the world’s first museum solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights. Current and historical international topics are covered, integrating local and global perspectives. Utilizing innovative multimedia technology, such as immersive or interactive exhibitions and location-based apps, the CMHR generates inspiring encounters with human rights for all ages for an extraordinary visitor experience.

Working in close collaboration, Acoustiguide and the CMHR designed a multimedia-focused interactive museum experience with a comprehensive location-aware mobile app. The app integrates low energy Bluetooth (BLE) iBeacon-compatible beacons to deliver accessible content to all visitors regardless of physical challenges. Acoustiguide also produced a bilingual audio tour (in English and French) and a visual description tour for the sight-impaired.

The CMHR is the first site in Canada to use iBeacons, and one of the world’s largest installations of this technology in a cultural institution, with more than 120+ units. The Acoustiguide-created app’s real-time “near me” identification location system interacts with the beacons to give museum visitors quick access to the nearest exhibits, as well as supplementary content from universal access points (UAP).

As a high proportion of the museum’s content is delivered digitally, Acoustiguide worked with CMHR to extend the museum's internal Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS). The museum could thereby create and maintain tour content independently, while ensuring updates would be distributed and synchronized to both the museum's in-house rental iPods as well as to visitors’ own devices via Acoustiguide's content distribution platform.

The free app also includes interactive mood meters, augmented reality, panoramic images, sign language videos, complete transcripts of all audio, and an interactive keypad. It features images, audio and text about each gallery, as well as accessibility to the museum’s multimedia collection beyond what is on display, such as versions with closed captioning or sign language. An interactive map of the Museum’s public spaces quickly locates you, displays floor plans and guides you to your destination. Mood meters enable visitors to share their mood reactions to the exhibits.

Overall the combination of location-based technology with an engaging user experience resulted in an amazing self-guided visitor experience for everyone.

Jenolan Caves, Australia

Regarded as Australia’s most outstanding cave system, with pure underground rivers and amazing limestone crystal formations, Jenolan Caves – believed to be over 320 million years old - is among the finest and oldest cave systems in the world.

Jenolan Caves were known to the local Aboriginal population for many thousands of years as Binoomea, "Dark places". European involvement in the area began in 1838, with the first recorded discovery by a local pastoralist, James Whalan. Over the succeeding years, James Whalan and his brother Charles discovered several openings. The Elder cave was discovered in 1848. It was the first "dark cave" explored.

In 1860, the Lucas cave, largest of the current show caves, was discovered by Nicholas Irwin and George Whiting.

It was not until 1866 that the caves were brought under direct government control. In 1867, Jeremiah Wilson was appointed as 'Keeper' of the 'Binda', or 'Fish River' Caves. In the 1880s, Jenolan began to emerge as a genuine tourist destination. The Aboriginal word 'Jenolan' (high mountain) was not adopted until 1884.

Over 160 years since the first Europeans stumbled upon the vast openings of the Grand Arch and the Devil's Coach House cave, the magic of Jenolan is still leaving its mark on visitors. Jenolan is as timeless as it is unforgettable.

Since 2006, Acoustiguide has been working closely with Jenolan Caves to create various themed tours including the Self-Guided Nettle Cave Tour, an Indigenous Heritage Tour and a Children’s Tour; and for above ground walking trails the Waters Tours which introduces Geology, Indigenous, and European use of water at Jenolan. Acoustiguide has also supplied hundreds of Opus Click – our robust and durable multimedia hardware - for delivery of the tours in an inclusive format; where every visitor to the Caves receives the tour as part of their visit. Most recently we have created an app. The app offers 6 tours – one of which is available in 13 languages, and is compatible for both handheld and tablet devices in Android and iOS format.

In recent years Jenolan – one of Australia’s foremost tourist destinations - has won over 35 regional, state and national awards. Most notably, they won the coveted 2013 Qantas National Tourism Award for Culture and Heritage, which is directly linked to Acoustiguide’s products and services. It is with great pride that we continue our association with this iconic and treasured tourist destination.

Tower of London

The Tower of London, also known as Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, is a historic castle located on the river Thames. William the Conqueror built this site’s namesake the White Tower in 1078. A popular tourist attraction, many are drawn to see the display of the Crown Jewels, the very symbol of the British Monarchy. The Tower was also a notorious state prison including inmates deemed enemies of the Royals or the Church from Anne Boleyn, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 and second wife of Henry VIII to Guy Fawkes.

Acoustiguide was awarded the Historic Royal Palaces contract in 2011 which covers the Tower of London, the Hampton Court Palace and the Banqueting House.

Our service at the Tower is on the basis of an optional sale of audio guides to the public. We recruit, train and manage the sales staff and have steadily increased sales figures during the course of the contract.

Language tours are popular among individuals and groups, as a large number of visitors to the Tower are foreign language speakers. Our multi-lingual staff is available to assist them.

There are other interpretation services available such as guidebooks and the popular warder (or Beefeater) tours. In 2014 visitor numbers reached 3 million.

Tower of London Family Tour

The tour is presented on Opus Click and is an example of a “simple” interactive multimedia tour primarily based on audio, including still images and witty cartoons presented on the screen. It is the result of a close collaboration with the HRP interpretation and education teams and has been very well received. It is intended to help different generations engage with each other as they experience the Tower; parents & children, grandparents & grandchildren, teachers & pupils. The tour is narrated by three ravens in the Tower. There are blood-curdling accounts of prisoners, as well as tales of escape plans and attempts to steal the Crown Jewels. History is made enjoyable through the combination of fun and facts. The tour’s striking imagery and imaginative ways of conveying information are very pertinent to our overall content approach.

The Art Institute of Chicago

Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, the Art Institute of Chicago ranks as one of the world’s great encyclopedic museums, with a diverse collection representing millennia of human artistic achievement. It attracts nearly 1.5 million international visitors annually, and, since 2011, Acoustiguide has offered the museum a full range of our mobile interpretation services.

At the heart of our work is content development. Acoustiguide’s creative team has written and produced tours for a wide range of exhibitions including Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective; Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity; Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture and Cuisine; They Seek a City: Chicago and the Art of Migration 1910-1950; and Picasso and Chicago. Our creative team has developed—and is continuing to develop—a new Director’s tour, fresh additions to the Lion’s Trail family tour and ongoing translations of the permanent collection in French and Spanish. We work closely with the museum’s Education and curatorial departments to craft engaging and expert tours that enlighten visitors and enhance their understanding of the museum’s collections.

Acoustiguide also provides the Art Institute of Chicago with delivery hardware (Opus Click) and staffing. In 2013 alone, our staff distributed almost 160,000 Opus Click players. Our turnkey on-site operation involves a full spectrum of services including hiring, training, and supervising on-site tour managers and staff; distributing the multimedia tour to visitors; dialoguing with museum visitor services staff regarding visitor flow, desk and sign location, customer service protocol and special events; setting up and maintaining the equipment and consulting on marketing and sales.

Here’s what we’ve heard from some our visitors:

“As a long time member, I usually take the audio tour for special exhibits. Today I decided to give the permanent collection a try. I couldn’t believe how the audio tour forced me to look at pieces of art work differently.”

“The Lichtenstein audio was absolutely fantastic! I thought it was wonderful that you could actually hear from the artist himself during the tour".

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Japan

Acoustiguide Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of the Acoustiguide Group, is a leading provider of audio tours to numerous art museums and exhibitions around Japan; and yet, its diverse client sites include history and heritage sites as well, specialized museums and even one famous train station. One of Acoustiguide Japan’s unique clients is the Kaiyukan Aquarium also in Osaka, the second largest city in Japan.

Kaiyukan is one of the largest aquariums in the world. Its theme is partly based on the new Gaia Hypothesis advocated by Dr. James Lovelock, a thesis that proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet. Focusing on the Ring of Fire (Pan Pacific Volcanic Zone) and the Ring of Life (Pan Pacific Life Zone), Kaiyukan Aquarium respects the dignity of the life and natural environment. The Japanese word “Kaiyukan” literally means “playing in the sea pavilion”. In this aquarium, visitors can enjoy creatures as if they are playing together in the sea. The 18 regions of Kaiyukan focus on Pacific Ocean and reproduce its nature and various living things including fishes, plants, invertebrate animals, batrachians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Acoustiguide’s Opus systems with full content production escort the Kaiyukan visitors as they walk through the tunnel-shaped water tank of the Aquarium, feeling as if they were at the ocean floor.

The audio tours are offered in 4 languages (English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese) and in two versions each: one for a daytime observation, and the other designed for a nighttime. A short, summarized version is also available for people in a hurry, as the Kaiyukan is big enough to spend more than 2 hours for observing. Hence, the visitors can enjoy 3 types of audio tours in each language which is very entertaining especially for Kaiyukan fans – and these are many!

Danshui City Tour, Taiwan

Danshui (or Tamsui) is a small city to the north of Taipei, which was the center of shipping and commerce in Northern Taiwan during the 19th century. The city is very popular with both domestic and international tourists alike, and boasts many historical attractions.

Since Danshui is a small town, most visitors spend only about half a day (on average) in town and then move on. The government wished to enhance the quality and value of the tour in Danshui to attract visitors stay longer; one of the selected means was to offer a city walking tour around Danshui.

In 2009, Acoustiguide Taiwan produced a special audio tour service for a walking tour in the town. The audio tour, offered in two languages (Chinese and English) is provided on Acoustiguide’s advanced Opus Touch™ players.

In order to overcome the fact that in a metropolitan environment one cannot place wall mount symbols, Acoustiguide offers creative ways in order to provide access to the content, meaning a special application that helps the visitors navigate around the city on the Opus player. This especially-designed application is comprised of a combination of orientation maps which are large in scale and friendly to view and use, and a list of items that are displayed on the players’ screens. The visitors are offered to reach the points of interest through either the maps or the item lists.

The rich audio & multimedia content includes commentary segments about various points of interest around Danshui, as well as more informative content and coupons for restaurants, coffee shops, souvenir shops and other merchandise.

Orsay Museum (Musée d'Orsay), Paris

The Orsay museum in Paris is one of the most prestigious museums in the world, and one of the largest museums in France. Orsay museum opened in 1986, in an ancient railway station built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. You can find there paintings, drawings, decorative arts, photography and sculptures of the finest artists of the 19th century.

Acoustiguide’s collaboration with Orsay museum started in February 2006. Acoustiguide provided than 450 audioguides that offered 350 commentaries in 7 languages for the permanent collections.

During four years of activity at Orsay museum, Acoustiguide has also realized 9 specific tours in various languages for the major temporary exhibitions.

Acoustiguide is operating now 500 opus click players presenting more than 430 commentaries in 9 languages for the permanent collections, in order to satisfy most of the 4 million visitors who rush into the Orsay museum each year.

Roman Baths Audio Tour, Bath

“In an industry known to be fiercely competitive, Acoustiguide’s hallmark has been their utter professionalism and objectivity, where the integrity of the company and the way it behaves rise above the ambitions and interests of individuals, and yet it has also been important to us to work with people who have a knowledge and understanding of the subject matter that goes beyond the commercial interest of their company.”Stephen Bird, Head of Heritage Services, Bath and North East Somerset

Acoustiguide Ltd., the UK subsidiary of Acoustiguide Group, have been the provider of audio tours at the Roman Baths and the Fashion Museum since 1995. This year Acoustiguide Ltd. won a fourth consecutive contract to continue its service at the sites.

From the beginning of April 2009 Acoustiguide Ltd. have been providing over a thousand Opus Click™ players which are included in the admission price. The adult tour is offered in eight languages with additional children’s tours in English and French and a celebrity tour narrated by Bill Bryson.

With 1 million visitors per annum, a very high take up rate for the audio and a site combining internal and external areas, an excellent operational service is paramount.

Westminster Abbey, London

Acoustiguide have provided audio tours at Westminster Abbey since 2007.

Initially the service was an optional sale of audio tours on exSite equipment. In May 2008 the Abbey swapped out to an inclusive service offering multimedia tours on two thousand Opus Click™ players to every visitor.

The tour comprises audio, text, still images and some specially commissioned videos. The English tour is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons and there are ten language versions including Russian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Mandarin and Japanese. Videos are used to show areas of the Abbey which are not accessible to the public at all times.

A February 2009 CNN article on London museum says "At Westminster Abbey, the excellent, new audio is narrated by Jeremy Irons".

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD), Germany

„I want to emphasize the service provided by Acoustiguide GmbH during our many years of cooperation and the carefully selected staff, who obligingly attend to the museum visitors and collaborate with the supervisory personnel commendably.”
Dirk Burghardt, Commercial Director

Acoustiguide GmbH, the German subsidiary of the Espro Acoustiguide Group, has been the provider of audio tours at Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) since 2009.

Acoustiguide GmbH provides over 1,400 Opus players with more than 250 hours of content in up to 15 languages at the different museums of the State Collection. One of the highlights is the tour with Saxon accent at the Historic Green Vault. Besides adult tours, children can enjoy a special tour at the Historic and New Green Vault.

The latest Acoustiguide App which was launched for the State Collection is “Kunst4Kids”. This app was developed especially for school kids and is now available at the Albertinum on iPods and on iTunes. Click here for the app.

The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden is among the most renowned and oldest museum institutions in the world. It emerged from the aristocratic collections in the 16th century and celebrated its 450th anniversary in 2010.

Tainan City Tour, Taiwan

Tainan City is a municipality on Taiwan’s southwest coast. It was the island’s capital from 1683-1887 under the Qing dynasty, and today it’s known for its centuries-old fortresses and temples.

“You’ll almost certainly receive looks of envy from any Taiwanese person if you mention you’re going to Tainan (台南市), and it’s not hard to see why.” reads Lonely Planet’s website. “Traditional culture continues to thrive in Tainan, the oldest city in the country. Inside century-old temples people ‘bwah bwey’ (cast moon blocks) to determine the best course of action, just as their ancestors did when the temples first opened…..”

Our first cooperation with Tainan City Government began in 2013, when the city celebrated the 120th anniversary of renowned Taiwanese painter Chen Cheng-po. Acoustiguide Asia created a special app for the exhibition, (view app here) commemorating this great pioneer of early 20th century East Asian painting.

Following the successful exhibition and app, Tainan City Government aimed to generate more apps to promote the city and its wonders. The government focused on the five most popular historical sites of the oldest city and former capital of Taiwan. Acoustiguide Asia was responsible for the entire project and developed an innovative beacon-based application, providing a solution with a location-aware mobile app to create a more interactive touring experience.

The Tainan Tour App triggers automatically and guides visitors through the city by voice, just like a personal tour guide. The app offers 50 multimedia stations and employs a Bluetooth automatic sensing beacon to provide visitors with audio descriptions in real time. As visitors stroll along the route on-site, their devices are triggered by the beacons, spontaneously activating the app’s content.

This comprehensive app offers a variety of interactive experiences encompassing graphics and written texts, hundreds of photos, guided tours and gourmet food tasting. The automatic location function enables visitors to learn more about the history and current status of five major historical sites in Tainan and to observe the changes that have taken place over the years. Each site has 10 stopping points with text descriptions and 10 audio stopping points of interest that are auto-triggered by corresponding beacons. One of the features displays old photos and maps of Tainan, allowing visitors to share their thoughts with friends and family.

Users easily access the latest information on tourism, culture and transportation in Tainan. The GPS function combined with Google Maps / iOS Maps assists people in reaching historical sites and popular dining establishments in real time. Further, Local Assistance supplies guided maps and user manuals onsite, including 10 to 15 tablets that are free to borrow at each site.

This multilingual app has English, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese versions available at the App store and Google Play that are compatible with Android 4.3 + and iPhone 4S and later.